In many East Asian cultures, especially within Chinese communities, hair plays a symbolic role during the Lunar New Year festivities. The superstition warns against cutting or washing hair during the first few days—especially the first day—of the new lunar calendar year. The Chinese character for ‘hair’ (发, fà) shares a similar pronunciation with the word for ‘prosper’ or ‘wealth’ (发, fā). Therefore, cutting or washing the hair at this time is considered symbolically equivalent to cutting off prosperity or washing away one’s fortune. Families often rush to get haircuts and thoroughly bathe in the days leading up to the New Year to cleanse themselves before the taboo takes effect. This avoidance of personal grooming continues for several days into the celebration, usually resuming on a culturally determined ‘auspicious’ date. The intention is to allow good luck to settle rather than being unintentionally discarded.
A baby’s future career or fate is predicted by the first object they select during a ceremonial setup.
In several Asian and Eastern European cultures, a traditional ceremony is held for babies usually around their first birthday. Known
